Grants help VFW prepare for Veteran’s Day, H.O.P.E finish new headquarters

Published 5:45 am Thursday, September 11, 2014

Horses Offering People Encouragement — or H.O.P.E — is getting ready to saddle up and move to a new location.

The equine therapy program, which targets special-need individuals, received a $6,000 grant from the Cullman County Community Development Commission to finish upgrades on its soon-to-be headquarters on Convent Road.

“We are extremely grateful to the CCCDC,” Executive Director Rhonda Riley said. “The money is going toward the construction of a tack room, a feed room, a stall and a multi-purpose room in the barn.”

Riley said the organization particularly attracts younger individuals.

“We’re designed to provide equine therapeutic programs to special needs youth in Cullman County,” she said.

The program is intended to help those with physical and mental disabilities. It encompasses occupational and speech therapy, as well as other disciplines.

It achieves these through horseback riding and equine care, which allow those physcially disabled to experience new freedom and those mentally disabled to experience normally impossible responsibility.

H.O.P.E is a non-profit organization, and Riley said she was grateful for all the support she received.

“The community really has ownership in this program,” she said.

Cullman’s VFW group also received a grant from the CCCDC to aid with their annual Veteran’s Day celebration.

“It’s the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War,” VFW member Ken Brown said. “We’re doing a bigger celebration than usual for that.”

The $3,000 grant the Cullman VFW received from the CCCDC last Thursday is designed to help make this Veteran’s Day celebration one of the biggest yet.

In conjunction with the regular Nov. 8 celebration at Sportsman Lake’s Veteran Park, there will be a a fly-in at Cullman Regional Airport.

“Anyone who has an airplane can fly into the City of Cullman that day,” Brown said. “They’ll be bussed to all the events from their.”

There will also be a display of vintage aircraft, which Brown said will include a Boeing Stearman bi-plane, aircraft used by Tuskegee airmen and a P-51 Mustang.

Others who received grants:

The Bethasdia Volunteer Fire Department received an $8,000 grant for building updates.

Vinemont High School received a $2,000 grant for the InSPIRESS program.

The Cullman County BAMA chapter received a $9,000 grant for the Cullman County Oktoberfest BBQ Challenge.

Wallace State Community College received a $4,000 grant for the completion of a disc golf course on campus.

Good Hope Elementary received a $2,400 grant to assist a fourth-grade field trip.

Cullman Middle School received a $5,565.68 grant to purchase new band equipment.

Also at the meeting, the Cullman County Rescue Squad and First Source for Women received checks for the grants they were previously awarded.